It is March 15 but the daytime temperatures are more like a day in May. For the last few days the mercury has climbed to above 27°C (81°F). My peach tree and red plum trees are in full bloom. I love when the red plum blooms, the blossoms give off a wonderfully sweet fragrance that fills the air. I just hope there are enough bees out to pollinate the plum. Last year was a disappointment in red plum fruit; just as the tree was in bloom we got a few days of rain and I got only a handful of plums. While red plums have a large stone compared to the meat, it is worth the effort to gather them as they make a wonderful red plum jam.

Peach Blossom

Red Plum Blossoms

Red plum blossoms are in clusters as can be seen in the photo above. The tree only stays in bloom a short time but is well worth experiencing. The photo is a close up; the blossoms are small. If you click on the images, a larger version will open in a lightbox.

It is the first of March yet the daffodils are up and in full bloom in the gardens. The tulips are pushing up as well. It is hard to believe that just a couple of weeks ago there was 11.4 cm (4.5 inches) of snow covering the gardens. Back in December I found some solid white daffodils in the bargain bin and planted them at the edge of the stone border I am building around the bed at the upper fence. They are just now poking through the ground and I hope I get some blooms to show.

To see some of the varieties of daffodils in the gardens, visit this old post, http://garden.secretcorners.net/2010/04/05/welcome-to-kimberly-s-garden

Camellia Blooms (Click image for a larger view)

If you want to add some colour to your garden in winter nothing beats a camellia. Camellia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae and are evergreens. There are 100 to 250 described species of camellia and there is some disagreement over exactly how many. When planting camellias, pay attention to the variety as some do better in shade and some do better in sun; Camellia sasanqua is a variety that does better in sun. The soil should drain well and should be slightly acid; a pH of 6.0-6.5. When feeding camellias, you want to use an acid fertiliser as you would with hollies and azaleas.

I have no idea how old the back garden camellia is; Mum planted it and I have no recollection of the date. It has reached up above the roof and is a great show in winter. It is amazing to see this small tree in full bloom in the middle of winter. It brings me a great deal of pleasure since the rest of the garden is below ground and won't bring forth blooms until warmer weather returns.

Camellia (Click image for larger view)